Trying to Decipher the Legend
by books101
Summary: It's the beginning of the twins' second year at Hogwarts, and they decide it's time they discover who the heros of their first year are: The Marauders! But why do their questions seem to make the teachers of Hogwarts act stranger than normal?
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: Hey All!_**

**_So, I'm sorry that I've sort of disappeared off the face of fanfiction recently- I assure you I didn't mean for it to happen. I have been working on some new stuff, but this fic is actually an old one that I had sitting around that I finally decided to edit and post. It was bouncing around in my mind for ages, and I'm actually quite happy with the result._**

**_The Weasley Twins perspective is different than anything else I have done before, because I saw that my writing somehow got lighter and more playful and mocking from thinking like them. I'm not sure it worked entirely, so please let me know. I'm writing a sequel of sorts from their summer before their seventh year, fifth book. I need to know whether this writing style works. The sequel will be a bit more serious- there's a war, and the twins are older- but I like the atmosphere and will be trying to preserve that. I don't want it to be like all the other 'The Twins Find the Marauders!' fics that are out there._**

**_Anyway, now that I've ranted enough about a sequel that I may or may not even finish, on to the story!_**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I, Books101, do not claim any ownership for Gred and Forge Weasley, the Teachers at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the castle itself, or anything else that may seem remotely familiar to fans. I do claim ownership for the plot and the twin's antics, though. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling herself, and I do not claim nor have ever claimed to be her.<strong>

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><p><strong><em>Trying to Decipher the Legend: A Normal Day in Gred and Forge Weasley's Life At Hogwarts<em>**

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><p>Fred and George Weasley were on a mission.<p>

It wasn't a hard mission, or even a slightly adventurous or dangerous one. After all the pranks, mischief, chaos and new gray hairs for Professor McGonagall from their first year, they had decided on the train to school their second year that they would start the year off slowly and quietly.

At least, as quietly as they knew how.

"Besides," Fred had cheerfully to his twin as they plotted while their friend Lee was in the loo, whispering over slightly stale corned beef sandwiches, a bag of Bertie Botts, and butterbeer 'borrowed' from a fourth year Hufflepuff's stash, "That way when the _real_ mayhem begins, they won't know what hit them!"

George had then pointed out that on top of that, a brief break from the Howlers their mother always sent after McGonagall had to contact her about them would be welcome. Especially after living with her and her 'restricting rules' for the whole summer.

So, back to the twin's not overly-adventurous-but-still-exciting mission.

They were going to find out who the Marauders were. The previous year, they had been dragged into Filtch's office one day after doing absolutely nothing wrong and being completely innocent, where he had proceeded to serve them tea and crumpets.

No, he'd actually threatened them (for the tenth time in four days) with expulsion and disembowelment for once again setting dungbombs off in the trophy room. (His reactions were so amusing, though!) But that's beside the point.

The point was that they managed to distract the old caretaker long enough to grab something 'confiscated and highly dangerous'.

Cool, right? Even without knowing what a blank parchment was supposed to do, the twins knew endorsement like that file's title was worth _something_.

And after they'd been talking in their empty dorm room about it one day, and the parchment _answered_ them, they'd managed to convince Misters Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs that they were worthy, ambitious, and creative pranksters who were certainly Gryffindors that didn't associate with Slytherins. And they'd been given the greatest gift they'd ever received to this day (though the things Bill brought back from Egypt were pretty neat. If he'd just follow through on the talk and bring them a cursed skull, he'd get the 'most amazing gift' award.).

They'd been told the password to activate the seemingly blank parchment.

Now Fred took that same parchment out of his bag as he and George headed to a secret passageway they'd taken to using to get to the Transfiguration corridor. Even though it was two in the afternoon on a free Saturday, it was basically instinct for the twins to check their parchment.

Filtch didn't need excuses to punish them.

Though they probably deserved anything he dished out for _something_ they'd done recently…

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Fred whispered reverently. It still amazed them that they, of all people, had this most amazing possession in their hands for their use.

Quickly ink spread out from where Fred's wand tip was touching the page. It created a map of Hogwarts, complete with passageways most students never found, and several they were slowly becoming convinced not even Filtch knew about. Plus, there were hundreds of little dots telling the twins precisely where every student, teacher, and ghost on grounds was at that very moment.

It goes without saying that they'd escaped Filtch many, _many_ times since discovering how the Map worked.

George leaned over and ran his fingers over the words at the top of the page with almost a worshipful touch.

_Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs_

_Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief- Makers_

_are proud to present_

_THE MARAUDER'S MAP_

"We owe them so much," he murmured.

"We do." Fred agreed solemnly, checking that no one was nearby, and clearing the Map again with a soft, "Mischief Managed," before continuing with determination, "hence the mission of finding out their true identities."

For that was what the twins were determined to know by the end of their second year, or if not then, hopefully by the time they graduated.

Really, as long as it was eventually discovered, they weren't picky on timing.

They just figured, like with the timing of their mother's famous plum tarts that she made every summer, the sooner the better.

From the condition of the Map, which didn't seem to have too many extra protection spells besides some basic ones, the Marauders seem to have lived sometime in the past hundred years.

But from their talk and the language they used when sharing the passwords, the twins estimated more likely in the past fifty years.

And most of their teachers were either students or teachers back then! So, they would simply question each teacher until they discovered something. It shouldn't be too hard, and they had a brilliant plan. It couldn't go wrong, they knew, as they approached McGonagall's door and knocked, entering at her signal.

They exchanged slightly nervous smiles and entered.

"Professor," Fred began, as previously decided, "do you know who the Marauders were?"

What they hadn't expected was the Professor's reaction.

Many emotions crossed her face, and the few the twins recognized made no sense.

Sorrow.

Heartache.

Regret.

A hint of amusement, as if at a memory.

A small smile.

A few tears in her eyes.

And then, as she focused on the red-headed, freckled, confused twins, fear.

"Oh no!" she said, "not both together!"

And then they'd been unceremoniously dismissed from her office without another word.

As she closed the door behind them, the twins could have sworn she was muttering something about "bad enough", "not more", "don't need the help", and "too early for a whisky…?"

They decided to convene in their dorm and review their results.

Not that it would make any more sense later than it did now; having an official meeting just seemed like the thing to do at the time. But McGonagall and her reaction were still completely bewildering to the twin terrors.

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><p>About a week later, Fred and George were no closer to discovering the mystery that was the Marauders. They looked in some old records in the Library, (yeah, who knew the Library could actually be good for something <em>useful<em>!) and discovered that Flitwick had been teaching at the school for more than fifty years! He'd actually taught McGonagall herself, according to some rumors in the halls (and Fred and George firmly believed all rumors were truth in some ways if not all), so the twins assumed he would know something about their idols.

They just crossed their fingers and hoped that he wouldn't have as severe and confusing a reaction as McGonagall had when hearing what they wanted.

It was after a class that had been as crazy and chaotic but interesting as always that the twins decided to do their interrogation (they had decided that such an important mission deserved important-sounding titles and terms for things. They were really just going to as Flitwick a question.), so they waited as the room emptied.

"Boys?" they turned when they heard the professor's squeak from behind them, "You both managed the color-changing charm, so do you have questions or is there something I can do for you?"

Fred looked to George. George looked at Fred. And then bounced in understanding and turned to their teacher as he remembered that he'd agreed to ask the question this time.

He decided to be subtler than they'd been before, though that wasn't saying much for the twins. Seeing as they weren't currently bombarding Flitwick with dungbombs, they thought they were being pretty restrained already.

"Professor, my twin and I have a question that isn't about class but that has been bothering us for some time. Seeing as how you're a teacher we trust very much, and seeing as how smart you are and what a fantastic teacher, we thought maybe you'd be able to try and help us out a little?"

Yeah, the twins never were good about flattery in moderation.

But Flitwick, however suspicious he might be after this, liked the twins and found them amusing most of the time (the time he'd been drenched in water upon entering the Great Hall hadn't been one of those times). So he beamed at George as he replied, "If I can, I'd be happy. What's your question?"

George shot Fred an ecstatic look- they had support this far, at least!

"Can you tell us about four individuals who went to school here some time ago that may or may not have gone by the name 'The Marauders'?"

Flitwick's reaction to the name was enough to ensure the twins knew they were dealing with something beyond normal school pranksters here. Yes, McGonagall freaking out was their first clue, but Flitwick's behavior was just as unusual at the mention.

His eyes filled a bit with tears as he got a far away, nostalgic look to his eyes.

"Ah, yes. Brilliant- all of them. Wonderful, embodiment of youth and happiness, even in the midst of darkness. Ah, how I wish-"

But abruptly he seemed to realize that he had the twins in his classroom, and apparently he didn't want to share anymore.

He squeaked quickly and summoned his bag and papers to him. "No, I really can't say much, and it was long ago, and I really shouldn't- oh! Would you look at that?" he asked quickly, looking at a pocket watch, "I really need to get to that meeting! Goodbye, boys!"

Then he zoomed from the room, much too fast for his little legs, in Fred's humble opinion, leaving two twins again confused, but newly interested and curious.

And as every good troublemaker knows, curiosity is just the thing needed for a good adventure.

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><p>Their next attempt was actually not planned, but seemed like a good, spontaneous idea. They had been taking a break from the questioning, going over what they knew. They figured from what Flitwick had let slip that the Marauders were most likely from a time of war, so either Voldemort's war ten years ago, or Grindevald's forty-plus years ago.<p>

The second seemed more likely, as the twins just couldn't imagine the Marauders being only in their twenties now, or their early thirties if they were from the beginning of the war.

It was during this planning and strategy stage that they decided the school had been left alone long enough, and that they needed to add a little mischief. However, it didn't work quite like it was supposed to. Fred had actually braved the Library to find a spell they needed, to create another trick step on a staircase that Filtch used all the time, and another spell to make it move around a little and disappear at times, all in the name of driving their esteemed caretaker insane, or course.

It got a little out of hand, though, when Peeves showed up. Though he thoroughly approved of the twins and their methods, apparently seeing George perched precariously on the stairs as he was applying the charm, was too much temptation for him.

He popped into view directly in front of George's face, causing him to scream in alarm, which caused Fred to scream as well, which startled George again, who then was already trying to get his footing, lost it, and fell down two flights of stairs.

Thankfully, the twins had an alibi of being on their way to the common room when they were viciously and meanly startled and attacked by Peeves, because George had hit his head and gotten some scrapes and needed a trip to the infirmary and Madam Pomfrey.

They knew the real story of their prank probably wouldn't go over so well, especially when McGonagall found out (which she would- the woman seems to know everything!).

That's when the thought hit them- a dangerous time, and pranksters together, the Marauders must have spent a fair amount of time in the infirmary themselves!

So they decided to ask the wonderful and brilliant Madam Pomfrey.

Of course she was much less kind and gullible than Professor Flitwick, so when Fred began like that she cut him off and gave him a stern look.

"Get to the point, Mr. Weasley." She advised briskly. "Your brother needs to get to his dorm and rest, and you are simply wasting my time."

"Of course, Madam," Fred said quickly, "We have simply been asking around, and wanted to know if you knew a group called The Marauders, by any chance?"  
>The reaction the healer had was as extreme as the teachers had been, but she seemed determined to cover it up with a stern exterior instead of showing any weakness.<p>

She pointed over to four beds closest to her office. "_They_ stayed there. Too much trouble for their own good- I had enough for several lifetimes. Now go get some rest, Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Weasley," she said to Fred, "Go and- go. Just go!"

The door at the end of the ward blew open, and after one look at Madam Pomfrey's upset face they took the hint and left quickly, not wanting to wait and see if she was more angry at them, or more sad about the Marauders as McGonagall and Flitwick had been.

They had barely left the threshold of the door before it slammed shut behind them, hitting them on their behinds.

Two identical faces with identical shock and the now familiar confusion turned to look at each other. But before they could say anything, they heard a soft, kind, amused, yet stern voice behind them, causing them to spin around.

"Misters Weasleys? Why are you in the Hospital Wing, and what is the matter with Madam Pomfrey?"

As the twins decided silently what to say, they exchanged looks that explained that they had the same brainwave- Dumbledore had been at the school since McGonagall was a student, and probably for some time before that! They could ask him, and he wouldn't freak out and confuse them even more!

"My dear twin here, George," Fred said to their headmaster, "fell down some stairs and needed to be seen. What we don't know is what's wrong with Madam Pomfrey. See, we've been asking teachers about some people we want to know about, but it seems to ignite strange behavior and temporary insanity in people, and Madam Pomfrey was no exception."

Fred shook his head sadly, as if he was vastly disappointed in the teachers of Hogwarts and their professionalism. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled wildly as he tried to keep a straight face despite his amusement.

"Perhaps I can help, Mr. Weasley. Who are the people you would like to know about?"

"The Marauders… sir." Fred said politely, adding the 'sir' at the end hopefully, wanting _some_ answers, for once!

However, it simply wasn't to be, which the twins should've expected. The headmaster's riddles and twisted answers were legendary at Hogwarts.

"Yes, brilliant students who I was quite fond of. However, as I can only begin to guess at where you discovered them, I simply can't risk my own health on this matter, as Minerva really has been quite upset in the past week and it simply wouldn't be worth it. I can say, safely, that not everything is as obvious as it would seem."

Then he smiled again, his eyes twinkling brightly at them over his half-moon glasses, before he turned and strolled away humming to himself.

George looked at his twin.

"He's barmy, but brilliant, right mate?"

Fred just nodded in agreement. "C'mon. Let's get you to bed and talk about what out esteemed members of staff have told us today."

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><p>After settling George in his bed (or Fred's, they weren't quite sure which was which as they switched regularly to confuse their room mates) Fred sat at the foot to talk with his brother.<p>

"We didn't learn what we wanted to, but I think Dumbledore was trying to tell us something." Fred said to his brother. "What do you think?"

"I think that Dumbledore is always saying something, and that he did tell us something today, but that many people probably never discover what he means, and that we will probably be no different."

"Do you really underestimate our intelligence so much, my dear, deluded brother?" Fred asked in mock angst and offense. "I think that we are more than capable of figuring out what the headmaster meant."

"Really?" George asked in interest, "Then please share with me what you figured out."

Fred was quiet for almost a whole minute with a perplexed look on his face before George interrupted what looked like painful thinking.

"That's what I thought."

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><p>But contrary to what George had said, he and Fred spent a good deal of the next week thinking about what Dumbledore had told them. They managed to agree on the part about safety and McGonagall.<p>

"Obviously," George said one night, "McGonagall didn't like how troublesome the Marauders were and is worried about us getting tips from them. She'd be angry with Dumbledore if he helped us."

Fred shuddered. "No wonder he wouldn't tell us anything! That witch is terrifying."

"It didn't stop you from telling Lee that she's too much like her animagus form in her hearing. It didn't seem like you were scared then."

"Ah, I didn't exactly mean for her to hear that. Especially after two hundred lines about respecting authority figures. My hand was prepared to fall off, before I remembered that I can't throw dungbombs as well with my left hand. It decided to stay attached after that."

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><p>Their next conversation was about the comment Dumbledore had made about things not being 'obvious'. George was sure that it pertained to the nicknames the Marauders had in some way. Perhaps their names were related in some way, and the nicknames weren't random. Or he thought perhaps they'd be able to find them in books somewhere, referenced or something.<p>

Fred, being surprisingly thoughtful at the time, believed it was something else.

"Dumbledore knows everything that happens in this castle, right?"

"Yeah," George agreed, "But we never did figure out how."

"Ack; that can come later." Fred said dismissively, "This is more important. The point," he continued determinedly, "is that Dumbledore might know our suspicions somehow, maybe he guessed what we figured out from what McGonagall and Flitwick said."

"Flitwick wasn't that helpful, and McGonagall even less," George muttered.

"Yes, but they did give us a few hints," Fred corrected his twin, who nodded reluctantly in agreement, before he looked contemplative.

"Fred," he said, "You don't think that maybe he was talking about when the Marauders were students? Like, maybe they weren't during Grindevald's time, but You-Know-Who's. And Dumbledore knew what we assumed and wanted to give us a subtle hint?"

"Maybe," Fred said with some excitement. "It's a long shot- he could've been referring to something else, but we'll keep that for future thought!"

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><p>Again a couple weeks later, the twins realized that between homework and their mystery they had completely abandoned the poor school! What ever had people been doing without any chaos for so long?<p>

Realizing this at dinner one night, they wasted absolutely no time rectifying the problem.

Angelina Johnson wasn't too thrilled with the mashed potatoes that landed on her braids, and when Fred ducked the Ravenclaw behind him was quite upset with the peas down his back.

Fred and George were congratulating themselves on such an excellent food fight while ducking puddings, juice being sprayed, vegetables flying through the air, gravy being dumped by the dish, and meat being tossed across the Hall, when they noticed a figure standing at the door, covered in food and extremely tense.

A closer look revealed it to be McGonagall, looking completely rigid with fury as she glared at the room. Starting by the door movement slowly decreased and stopped, along with the talking, laughing, and yelling. It moved in a wave across the Hall, until the entire room was silent and still, waiting for her to speak.

She looked around as the twins began to lower themselves closer to the ground, out of her sight, and started to contemplate an escape route.

But she spotted them and apparently decided they looked guilty.

"Misters Weasleys, the younger," she added when a indignant and angry looking Percy dripping with gravy opened his mouth, "seeing as you look like the instigators of this little bit of chaos, after every student in this Hall helps clean for a half hour, you two will continue with Mr. Filtch until the Hall is in perfect condition again. Am I understood?"

A few students had groaned when they heard the group punishment, but obviously rethought it when seeing McGonagall's expression. For the twins' parts, they nodded meekly in acceptance, knowing when it was acceptable to joke and argue, and recognizing this as a circumstance where to do so would be suicide.

And that is how they found themselves alone with Filtch at the other end of the empty hall, mopping under the Hufflepuff table. They estimated that they still had over three hours of work to do, and it was already after ten at night.

It was then that they realized something: Filtch was old. Not extremely old like Dumbledore, but he'd been there over twenty or so years. They didn't think he'd been there in their parent's time, but anything was possible. What would it hurt to ask?

It turned out twenty minutes later that it didn't hurt- much.

Asking had gotten them a twenty-minute lecture on pranksters, proper punishments (Filtch really had too much of an obsession with whips and chains, in their humble opinions), and how much the school had suffered under the Marauders reign.

Unfortunately, they didn't get years or identities.

But quite happily they got the idea from Filtch that apparently the Marauders had used, one where they put a spell on the Great Hall door to turn anyone that walked through it pink.

They made mental notes to look that one up.

And, amazingly, they upset Filtch so much that he let them go immediately after his lecture.

It was at the moment that the twins decided they liked the crazy reactions that people seemed to have when the Marauders were mentioned.

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><p>A few days later the twins were already looking at another detention, but they decided it had been worth it. Alicia Spinnet had been having a bad week, and in Potions Stinky Snape (as the twins privately christened him) was picking on her. The twins did their patented Snape impersonation to amuse her, and they had gotten a couple smiles from her.<p>

Quite sadly, they also got detentions bottling pickled toads from a cranky teacher who they were absolutely convinced had no sense of humor.

In other words, Snape.

They were standing at the tables working, and Fred peeked up quickly to see where their professor was. He was at the other end of the room immersed in grading papers, and Fred was confident he wouldn't be able to hear the twins talking.

"George?" he whispered. Upon getting his twin's answering noise he asked, "Do you think Snape might have known the Marauders? Not in a friend sense, since he had no humor at all, but in the familiar sense?"

George turned to look incredulously at his twin. "Where in the world did you get such an idea?"

"I was thinking about what you said about Dumbledore insinuating that they might have been at school during the war with You-Know-Who. I heard some upperclassmen talking the other day, and they said that Snape was supposedly at school then, and that he's younger than thirty. He's the youngest potion master in a century, or something like that, but it got me thinking."

"So, if they were at school during the war, then he would know." George said, catching onto Fred's thinking. "I suppose it couldn't really hurt to ask."

"Yeah, we're already in detention anyway, right?"

But before George could answer they heard a cold voice from right in front of them. Snape had gotten up and come over, but they'd been so immersed in their conversation that they hadn't even noticed.

"Do you boys have some sort of hearing problem, or was it just such an important emergency that you conveniently forgot that I set you this task without speaking?" he inquired sarcastically. Not sure if he actually wanted an answer, George looked pleadingly at Fred, who sighed but did the speaking. Neither of the twins much liked speaking to Snape at any time, but especially when he was in such a mood.

"Sir, we were wondering something…" Fred trailed off, not sure how to word it casually and safely.

"Wondering what, Weasley?" Snape snapped. "Where you left your brains? I'm sorry to say that I don't know and you are merely wasting my time now."

"No, sir." Fred said, and then blurt out, "We were wondering if you know who the Marauders were."

Snape's reaction completely changed their minds once again and once and for all.

The title of the group was very dangerous, and teachers were even more confusing.

Snape became very pale, which was saying something considering his normal complexion. He began to shake slightly, worrying the twins, and his eyes became cold and blacker than before.

As he continued to be silent and shake the twins realized it was with rage that he was shaking, and they started to slowly back away from him.

"Never," he started slowly and threateningly, "mention that _word_ around me again. Never! Get out!" he spat suddenly, pointing a shaking hand at the door, "and never, _never_ bring this up again!"

Suddenly quite a bit terrified at the fury in Snape's face, the twins raced for the door and left the dungeons at a run, 'forgetting' to tell Snape they had three hours and two barrels of toads left.

They didn't stop running until they were in Gryffindor Tower, and gasping for breath they surveyed the common room.

Their roommates were all accounted for, meaning the dormitory would be empty. They quickly moved in the direction and didn't stop moving until they were huddled in Fred's bed with the hangings pulled protectively around them, their eyes scanning the shadows in the corners with slight fear.

"I have never seen Snape like that before." Fred finally ventured.

"That makes two of us mate." George replied, "And I have no desire to see it again. It was bloody terrifying."

Fred nodded in agreement. "I think we need to acknowledge that we are never going to learn who the Marauders are, and that we should give up now while we're slightly ahead. We have other important things we could be doing."

"I suppose so." George agreed, "But, what do you mean 'while we're ahead'?"

"My dear brother," Fred said in a mockingly condescending voice, "did you or did you not notice that we got out of two detentions early in less than a week?"

As realization dawned on George he looked at his twin with awe. "You're right. It's certainly too dangerous to take the chance of it happening again. We should stop as long as everything is as good as it now."

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><p>The school never learned why the Weasley twin pranks suddenly returned with a vengeance, but they were simply trying to make up for all their wasted time.<p>

After all, their mission hadn't even been successful. But seeing as it was an adventure and saved them from detentions, they labeled it a partial victory.

And went about earning many more detentions to make up for the short ones, determined to beat the Marauder's detention records, whoever they really were.

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><p><strong><em>AN: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!_**

**_Pretty please leave me a review to let me know what you think! And I'll make you all a deal- 10 or more reviews asking for a sequel and I promise it'll be done before the end of the summer!_**

**_-Books_**


	2. UPDATE! New segment on profile!

**Hello there all!**

**I just wanted to say that I published the next part of this as a separate story, just because it can be read as one. It can be found on my profile, as _Finding the Marauders... AT LAST!_ So, go find it, read, enjoy, and then review!**

**Thank you, and thank you for your reviews. They were wonderful, and the reason that you get another installment. Remember that. ;)**

**-Books**


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